Fence-machine.



No. 640,772. Patented Ian. 9, I900.

A. J. KAUFFMAN.

FENCE MACHINE.

(Application filed Mar. 30, 1899.)

awvento'c Adm/m4 UNITED STATES PATENT Prion.

AMOS J. KAUFFMAN, OF GAP, PENNSYLVANlA.

FENCE-MACHINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 64Q,772, dated January9, 1900.

Application filed March 30,1899. Serial No. 711,076. (No model.) 9

T to whom, it mag concern:

Be it known that I, AMOS J. KAUFFMAN, a citizen of the United States,residing at Gap, in the county of Lancaster and State of Pennsylvania,have invented a new and useful Fence-Machine, of which the following isa specification.

Myinvention relates to fence-machines,and has for its object to providean improved and simplified machine for securing wire cable stays in wirefences.

The invention consists also in certain details of construction,novelties of combination, and arrangement of parts, all of which will befully described hereinafter and pointed out in the appended claim. I Inthe drawings forming part of this specification, Figure 1 is aperspective view illustrating-a machine constructed in accordance withmy invention in position upon a fence for practical operation. Fig. 2 isa top plan view, on an enlarged scale, of the ratchet devices fortwisting the stays. Fig. 3 is a detail sectional View on the planeindicated by the dotted line 3 3 of Fig. 2. Fig. 4. is a detailperspective view of the ratchet-wheel detached. Fig. 5 is a detailperspective view of the central block of the ratchet-wheel detached.Fig. 6 is a detail-perspective view of one of the Wire-supporting hooksdetached.

Like numerals of reference mark the same parts wherever they occur inthe various figures of the drawings.

Referring to the drawings by numerals, 10 indicates a section ofgas-pipe of which I usually form the upright of my machine. This uprightis perforated, two series of holes 11 being arranged in vertical linesdiametrically opposite to each other, the holes being about an inch, orthereabout, apart. In these holes I place open hooks 12 in number andposition to correspond with the line-wires of the fence to be stayed,except the top and bottom wires, five hooks 12 being herein shown toreceive the five wires 13, the top wire 14 being rested upon the top ofthe arm 14, projecting from a sleeve 15, adj ustably secured on theupright 10 by a set-screw 16, and the bottom wire 17 passing under alike arm 18, secured in a similar manner on a sleeve 19, adjustablysecured on the upright bya set-screw 20. The hooks 12 are bent toproject laterally from the upright, so as to engage the wires 13 out ofthe way of the stay to be secured to the wires directly in line with theupright and the arms 14 and 18, and an arm 21 is secured to the uprightin proper position to engage one of the wires at some distance from theupright to steady themachine. The arm 21 is stiifened by an angularbrace 22 and is formed at its outer end into a hook 23 to en'- gage overthe wire, said hooks being secured against slipping oif the wire by aspring-wire latch 24, as shown.

After a double-wire stay 25 is secured to the upper and lower wires, thetwo strands of the stay passing down on opposite sides of theintermediate wires, it is twisted into ca= pable form by the mechanismnow to be described.

26 indicates a ratchet-wheel provided with a square bed 27 in itscenter, in which is placed a square block 28 of the same thickness asthe wheel and provided on each side witha disk or round boss 29,projecting beyond the side of the wheel. A handle 30 has forked flatends 31 to embrace the wheel 26 and bored to fit over and form bearingsfor the bosses 29. A ratchet 32 is pivoted to the handle and normallyand yieldingly held in engagement therewith by a spring Theratchet-wheel 26, square block 28, bosses 29, and flat ends 31 are eachprovided with a diametric slot or deep notch, as shown at 34, extendingfrom one edge to and slightly (about the diameter ofa strand ofstay-wire) past the center. When the stay has been attached, as beforeexplained, these notches are made to register, as in Fig. 2, and areslipped upon the two strands of the stay at a point midway between twowires, the stay-wires being seated in this notch of the block andbosses. The handle is now moved horizontally in the direction of thepointof the pawl, carrying the ratchet-wheel, block, and bosses around,and twisting the strands of the stay around each other above and belowthe twister and between the adjacent line-wires. When the wires of thestay are twisted fully, the twisting mechanism may he slipped off bylifting the pawl out of contact with the teeth of the wheel and bringingthe notches of the wheel, block, bosses, and handle into register, as inFig. 2. As each section of the stay is twisted and receiving the bossesin round holes, at ratchet pivoted to the handle, and a spring pressingits point into engagement with the wheel, the wheel, block, bosses, andflat ends of the handles being slotted, substantially as described.

AMOS J. KAUFFMAN.

Witnesses:

C. L. KAUFFMAN, J. H. NEUHAUSEB.

